Live updates: Kentucky men’s basketball commits, recruits in action at Hoophall Classic
One of the most prestigious, and highly anticipated, prep basketball weekends of the year is already upon us.
The 2024 edition of the Spalding Hoophall Classic — held on the campus of Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, where James Naismith invented the game of basketball — began Thursday, and kicks into high gear this weekend with a slew of top prep basketball players and teams in action.
From a Kentucky men’s basketball perspective, the main attraction this weekend will be a pair of players who are set to become Wildcats next season.
Combo guard Boogie Fland (a UK signee) and wing Billy Richmond (who committed to the Cats in December) will both be in action.
Sunday night will offer a seismic moment in the college basketball recruiting landscape as well: Five-star class of 2024 shooting guard VJ Edgecombe — the highest-ranked uncommitted player in this recruiting class — will be announcing his college decision.
Edgecombe is choosing between Baylor, Duke and Kentucky.
Additionally, several other top Kentucky recruits will be playing in the nationally televised event: This group includes class of 2025 combo guard and Central Kentucky native Jasper Johnson, 2025 power forward Koa Peat (who recently included UK in his top 10 list) and both Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the sons of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer who have both already taken an official visit to Kentucky.
The Herald-Leader has an in-person presence inside Blake Arena on the Springfield College campus this weekend, and will provide plenty of updates on the action, as well as coverage afterward.
The most recent updates will appear below.
Kentucky native Jasper Johnson closes Hoophall with win over Darius Acuff
The closing game of the 2024 Hoophall Classic was a star-studded affair, with a pair of class of 2025 guards who are being recruited by Kentucky taking center stage.
Link Academy (Missouri) defeated IMG Academy (Florida), 65-49, with Central Kentucky native Jasper Johnson enjoying a star performance.
Johnson, the former Woodford County standout who recently returned home and had a big performance in front of John Calipari and current Kentucky players, went for 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists.
Acuff had another high-scoring game at Hoophall: The Detroit native went for a game-high 25 points and 5 rebounds.
Both players hold Kentucky scholarship offers. Acuff took an official visit to UK in October for Big Blue Madness, and Johnson is the son of former UK star defensive end Dennis Johnson.
Johnson is expected to release a top list of schools soon.
Boozer twins play, win final game at Hoophall Classic
The Christopher Columbus (Florida) duo of Cayden and Cameron Boozer played their second and final game at Hoophall on the event’s final day Monday afternoon, securing a 70-61 win over Paul VI (Virginia).
While Cayden’s performance featured 7 turnovers and Cameron shot just 4-for-11 from the field, both players found other ways to be effective and close Hoophall with a 2-0 team record.
Cayden’s distribution at times looked elite, with 7 assists and a good feel for when and how to push the ball in transition. He had 17 points in the win.
Cameron led all players with 13 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 blocks, again showing that his combination of defensive intelligence, timing and elite size at 6-foot-9 make him an elite presence on that end of the floor.
The twin brothers of former NBA all-star Carlos Boozer have pushed their respective recruitments to the side while the high school season finishes, but you can expect more developments on that front in a few months’ time. The Boozer twins both took an official visit to Kentucky in September.
High-profile Hoophall matchup goes the way of Montverde Academy
The most anticipated matchup of the five-day Hoophall Classic event took place Sunday night between Prolific Prep (California) and Montverde Academy (Florida). It was a game bursting with five-star college basketball talent, including the consensus top-ranked players in each of the next three recruiting classes:
▪ Class of 2024 Duke signee Cooper Flagg (Montverde).
▪ Class of 2025 UK recruit AJ Dybantsa (Prolific).
▪ Class of 2026 UK recruit Tyran Stokes (Prolific).
And each player lived up to their billing.
In a 76-71 Montverde win, Flagg went for 15 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks.
Dybantsa had 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, and Stokes had 12 points and 6 rebounds, generally playing up an age level against most of his opponents.
Dybantsa and Stokes both hold Kentucky scholarship offers, and members of the UK coaching staff watched them play last month in Louisville.
VJ Edgecombe commits to Baylor over Duke, Kentucky
The choice is in for VJ Edgecombe.
The class of 2024 five-star small forward will be going to Baylor for college, as he selected the school from a shortlist that also included Duke and Kentucky.
A 6-foot-5, 180-pound shooting guard, Edgecombe enjoyed a meteoric rise up the recruiting rankings in recent months, and this coincided with a late recruiting push from John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats.
Edgecombe was in Lexington in October for an official visit, and despite not initially having UK on his list of top-10 schools, Kentucky made its way onto Edgecombe’s final shortlist in his college recruitment.
Earlier this week, it was rumored the Wildcats were not likely to land Edgecombe though, and thus his commitment became a decision between Baylor and Duke.
On Sunday night live on ESPN2, Edgecombe picked the Bears.
This marks the second-straight year a recruit has spurned Kentucky with a commitment made at Hoophall. Last year, it was shooting guard Ian Jackson who picked North Carolina over Kentucky at the event.
UK signee Boogie Fland stuffs stat sheet in Hoophall Classic win
The second of two Kentucky men’s basketball signees to play at this year’s Hoophall Classic took to the court Sunday evening when Archbishop Stepinac (New York) High School guard Boogie Fland played against Don Bosco Prep (New Jersey) in a game broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
The headlining attractions for the game were Fland and Don Bosco’s Dylan Harper, a Rutgers guard commit and the No. 2 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class per the 247Sports Composite.
Fland, who picked Kentucky over a small final list of schools that also included Alabama and Indiana, is expected to take over lead ball-handling duties for UK next season after the departure of current freshman star D.J. Wagner.
Fland went for a well-rounded 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in the game, which was tightly-contested throughout.
He showcased many of his trademark characteristics in the win: Active hands on defense, a willingness to push the pace when leading Stepinac in transition opportunities on offense and a dynamic scoring profile that includes the ability to make shots from distance.
Fland went 4-for-8 from 3-point range in the win.
A standing-room only, capacity crowd inside Blake Arena in Springfield was treated to the contest.
Darius Acuff Jr., IMG Academy impress with UK interest at Hoophall
The fourth day of Hoophall Classic didn’t feature any player with Kentucky basketball ties until the late session began, but it was worth the wait.
Class of 2025 five-star guard Darius Acuff Jr. and his IMG Academy (Florida) team took on Sunrise Christian Academy (Kansas) in the first game of a loaded late session at Blake Arena in Springfield, and it was a dominant performance from the electric backcourt player.
Acuff — who took an official visit to Kentucky in October over Big Blue Madness weekend — had 28 points, 9 assists and 3 steals in a 75-65 IMG win.
Acuff rose to prominence over the summer grassroots season as a talented scorer, but on Sunday he displayed a full array of quality guard skills: Versatile scoring, passing and a willingness to facilitate up-tempo offense.
Acuff’s passing ability in particular appears to have taken a big leap since his offseason move from Detroit, where he’s originally from, to IMG Academy.
With UK still under consideration, Koa Peat stars at Hoophall
It’s been a big few days for class of 2025 power forward Koa Peat.
He released a list of the 10 schools that he’s still considering as a college basketball option (which includes Kentucky), and then made the trek East with his Perry (Arizona) High School team to partake in the Hoophall Classic.
Perry’s lone game at this year’s Hoophall came as the closing act to Saturday’s proceedings, and resulted in a 64-63 buzzer-beating win over Grayson (Georgia) High School.
Peat, who is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 5 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class, went for 23 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks in the defeat.
In the first half alone Peat was dominant: Perry built a five-point halftime lead largely thanks to Peat’s offense (13 first-half point on 5-for-6 shooting from the field) and his defense (5 blocks and 4 rebounds in the opening half).
Within the opening 40 seconds of the second half, that Perry lead had grown to 10 points thanks to an And-One finish inside by Peat.
North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis (who earlier in the day led the Tar Heels to a big home win over Syracuse) was inside Blake Arena for Peat’s big game.
UNC is also among Peat’s top 10 schools.
Top UK recruits Cameron, Cayden Boozer go up against VJ Edgecombe
While the Kentucky men’s basketball team played out an eventual 97-92 overtime loss at Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon, a trio of Kentucky recruits took to the hardwood at the Hoophall Classic.
The 4 p.m. Saturday game between Christopher Columbus (Florida) and Long Island Lutheran (New York) featured class of 2025 stars (and twin brothers) Cameron and Cayden Boozer going up against class of 2024 five-star VJ Edgecombe.
A capacity crowd gathered inside Blake Arena on the Springfield College campus for the matchup, won by Columbus, 81-62.
Cameron Boozer — ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class — produced a high-quality outing with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 assists.
The 6-foot-9 power forward excels at all levels of the game, possesses good passing vision and uses his supreme size to great effect when battling inside for rebounds, scoring opportunities and protecting the rim.
A pass to Cameron Boozer at the nail can lead to any number of positive offensive outcomes for Columbus, such as a kick out to an open 3-point shooter when the defense collapses, or allowing Boozer himself to muscle his way to the rim.
His twin brother Cayden, a 6-foot-3 point guard, had his own headlining moments. Cayden finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists and popped with his distance shooting and court vision.
Michigan State guard signee Jase Richardson added 20 points for Columbus.
Edgecombe, the top uncommitted prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists for Long Island Lutheran. Edgecombe turned his play on in a big way near the end of the first half, when he went on a personal 8-0 run.
Edgecombe’s improved passing ability was on display again in the contest, as was his ability to be a defensive pest with his 6-foot-5 frame.
The shooting guard is down to a final three of Baylor, Duke and Kentucky in his recruitment, and Edgecombe will announce his college commitment at Hoophall on Sunday night.
Reports that came out Saturday indicated that Kentucky is no longer being considered by Edgecombe, and that he will commit to either the Bears or Blue Devils.
Billy Richmond battles with, defeats Duke signee in Hoophall Classic game
The Saturday morning showdown between Camden (New Jersey) High School and North Mecklenburg (North Carolina) High School featured a pair of future blueblood college basketball players.
Kentucky commit Billy Richmond (Camden) and Duke signee Isaiah Evans (North Mecklenburg) faced off against each other, and there was also plenty of individual one-on-one play between the two, as they guarded each other for the majority of what became a 67-62 Camden win.
Richmond — who had a game-high 26 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals — came alive in the second half and showed off his scoring prowess in a big way in the Camden win.
Richmond reached the 1,000-point scoring mark in his high school career during Saturday’s game. He punctuated the victory with a windmill slam in the closing seconds. That was just one of a number of impressive dunks Richmond had during the game.
Evans — who had 21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals — shouldered most of the offensive creation load for North Mecklenburg, but at times found it tough to generate quality scoring looks with Richmond defending him.
A 6-foot-5 wing, Richmond will bring a versatile presence at both ends of the court to the Wildcats next season. His length projects well as a defender able to affect opposing wings, reach in for steals and gather rebounds if he shows a bit of an increased motor when it comes to crashing the glass.
He’s also a smooth operator when it comes to knifing through defenders in the lane, kicking out to open shooters and using his size to finish through contact. A threat to shoot from 3-point range, the left-handed Richmond also has a skillset that should fit nicely into the up-tempo, transition offensive style that Kentucky has played with this season.
Both Richmond and Evans are players are part of the top two recruiting classes in the country in 2024. Duke is currently No. 1 and Kentucky is currently No. 2, although that could change Sunday night when the top uncommitted prospect left in the class, VJ Edgecombe, makes his college choice between Baylor, Duke and UK.
Billy Richmond begins run of Kentucky men’s basketball recruits at Hoophall
From a strictly Kentucky men’s basketball point of view, the Wildcats’ interest in the 2024 edition of the Spalding Hoophall Classic begins Saturday morning.
Class of 2024 UK men’s basketball commit Billy Richmond will soon be in action with his Camden (New Jersey) High School squad against North Mecklenburg (North Carolina) High School.
Richmond is one of five members of the 2024 UK basketball recruiting class, but Richmond is the only member of this group yet to sign his National Letter of Intent to play with the Wildcats.
Richmond committed to the Cats in late December, just hours before UK defeated Louisville in the annual rivalry matchup. As such, Richmond won’t be able to sign his paperwork to come to Lexington until April at the earliest.
A 6-foot-5 wing, Richmond was teammates at Camden last season with current UK freshman stars Aaron Bradshaw and D.J. Wagner. Since Bradshaw and Wagner departed for Kentucky, Richmond has taken over as the star player for the Panthers.
Richmond is also a key player for the New Jersey Scholars travel team on the Nike EYBL circuit, which Bradshaw and Wagner also formerly played with.
Camden’s Saturday morning game featuring Richmond will kick off an entire day at Hoophall with Kentucky basketball connections.
Later in the afternoon, three UK recruiting targets will be in one game as Long Island Lutheran (New York) small forward VJ Edgecombe takes on Cameron and Cayden Boozer from Christopher Columbus (Florida).
Edgecombe, a class of 2024 player, will choose between Baylor, Duke and Kentucky for his college commitment Sunday night.
The Boozer twins — who are sons of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer — both took official visits to Kentucky in the fall.
At 9 p.m., Arizona-based class of 2025 power forward Koa Peat will be in action. Kentucky recently made Peat’s top-10 list.
Cooper Flagg show highlights start of Hoophall Classic
The Hoophall Classic has been ongoing since Thursday, when local schools fill the schedule. But the event truly kicked into high gear Friday night, with prep powerhouse Montverde Academy in action.
The Florida-based school is littered with top high school basketball talent, and no name in prep hoops is bigger right now than that of Cooper Flagg.
The 6-foot-9, 195-pound future Duke Blue Devil looked every bit the part of the No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2024 class Friday night, going for 25 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks as his Montverde team crushed Oak Hill Academy, 80-50.
Currently viewed as the likely No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NBA draft, Flagg displayed all of his future basketball potential at Hoophall: He controls the game thanks to his distinct skillset and has a bevy of offensive attributes, ranging from jump-shooting ability to solid vision as a playmaker. He’s also more than capable of effectively using his size to rebound and affect the game on the defensive side of the ball.
You’ve probably already heard Flagg’s name quite often with an eye toward the 2024-25 college basketball season.
And that won’t change anytime soon.
This story was originally published January 13, 2024 at 10:09 AM.
